Jordy
“OKAY, LOOKS LIKE you’ve got everything you need except…” Crystal peered at the list we’d collaborated on, where everything was crossed off except one item. “Sunscreen! I can pick some up on the way home for you if you want.”
The hotel Kieran was staying at was right next to a beach, an hour or so away from where we lived.
By some miracle of fate, it was in the same little city that Oldport University was in.
The fact that I’d be checking out the area around the school had definitely helped bring my dad on board with the spontaneous, unsupervised trip.
The room, which I’d already subtly questioned Kieran about and then checked out online without him knowing, wasn’t luxurious or expensive, but the location was great.
And I was pretty sure I could convince him to take a dip and maybe build a sandcastle with me.
Among other activities. Once he knew I was coming, anyway.
“You really don’t mind?” I asked, even though I knew she probably wouldn’t. I really needed to get a car so I didn’t have to depend on Dani and Kieran for rides all the time. Not that anyone ever complained about carting me around.
“Of course not,” she assured me. “Can’t have you coming home looking like a lobster!
” She joked, patting my leg to bring attention to the fact that I was ghostly pale.
I didn’t get tans, I just turned a nuclear shade of red then half my skin would flake and peel off.
I’d had to slather up for all my track meets for the last couple years of high school.
“Thanks, Mom. Get the super waterproof high protection one, okay?”
“SPF one million coming up,” she responded dutifully, making me grin.
Far from the horror stories about stepmothers I’d heard, we’d always gotten along just fine and enjoyed each other’s company.
No weird jealousy about my dad from either end, which was a relief.
Maybe because I hadn’t butted up against the idea of having a new mom, and she hadn’t minded the idea of another son.
She sighed a little, looking wistful. “I’m kind of jealous, you know? I’d love to go out to the beach for the weekend.”
“We should plan a trip!” I said. “It would be really fun if we could all go before school starts.”
My dad mentioned that he could find out about getting vacation from work, and we all chatted a little more about the idea before Kieran made his way down the stairs, looking exhausted and half-dead as usual. He was definitely not a morning person, and he never had been.
“Morning, honey!” Mom greeted him, to which he responded with a semi-friendly grunt. Behind us, he started his usual routine of pouring cereal and milk into a bowl before staring at it until it got soggy and eventually eating it.
Navigating this part of my plan was going to be a little tricky, but if anyone could execute it flawlessly, it was me.
“Mom’s grabbing the last thing we need for the trip on her way home,” I commented. “So don’t worry about having to go to the store or anything before tomorrow.”
He raised his head, staring at me like I’d spoken a language he hadn’t even known existed. “You’re going on a trip?” He asked. It was a good thing he was always a little slow in the mornings or that might have looked suspicious.
I blinked slowly at him, tilting my head. “Of course! Our trip, silly!” I turned back toward our mom, shaking my head in a comically exaggerated exasperation. “Someone didn’t get much sleep last night,” I commented. She chuckled a little, shaking her head. She was totally buying it.
“Kieran, I can’t believe you didn’t tell us that you were going away this weekend!” She complained, but sounded more surprised than upset.
He stared at her now for a few moments before answering. “You mean… My trip? Up to the coast tomorrow?”
“Well, sure, it’s your trip for work,” I agreed. “But I’m really glad you invited me to come. I haven’t been to the beach in forever!”
I watched the gears of his mind struggling to turn and come to an understanding for a few moments, before his eyes narrowed. As I’d expected, he wasn’t totally thrilled with my genius plan. “Sorry, Mom. I’ve been really busy so I forgot to mention it. I’ll only be gone until Monday night.”
“I know, Jordy told us all about it,” she assured him. “I’m so proud of you!”
“… Thanks,” he said, before shifting his gaze to me with a very unamused expression on his face.
Keeping my eyes locked on his, I lifted my drink to my mouth to take a long sip, daring him to call me out for lying.
If he did, then I’d have to explain why I’d done it.
And then he’d have to explain why he was such a jealous psycho who couldn’t stand for other alphas to even glance in my direction.
And I was pretty sure he didn’t want to do that. Especially in front of my dad.
As our parents excitedly and cluelessly grilled him about the tattoo he’d be doing for the client, I watched him pick up his phone and start typing. After a few moments, a text lit up the screen of my phone.
Who the hell said you’re coming on this trip?
Me, I texted back, watching in amusement as he alternated between answering their questions and attempting to chew me out via text message.
You’re not coming. The hotel room is already paid for and it’s just one bed.
I suppressed a snort, rolling my eyes. We’ve slept in the same bed before, Mother Teresa.
To my fascination, as he glanced down to the screen at my response, his cheeks colored a bit.
That’s different.
How? I wondered, but I pretty much already knew what he was implying.
We’d been younger, and a lot more innocent.
At least, I had. Mostly. We’d never done anything inappropriate during those times, but it was pretty much a guarantee that we’d be doing them now.
At least if I had anything to say about it.
He didn’t answer my text this time, pointedly putting his phone face down onto the table as he finished up the conversation with our parents. I waited patiently, inserting my own declarations here and there, until he was finished eating and went to head back upstairs to get ready for work.
Hopping up from my chair, I followed him up.
“Absolutely not,” he spoke up when he saw me coming up. “It’s not happening.”
“Oh, okay,” I answered, inserting a peppy, cheerful tone into my words. “Then you go down and tell my dad that you decided not to bring me because there’s only one bed and you don’t think you can control yourself if you have to sleep next to me.”
His eyes widened, and he let out a growl. “That’s… I never said that!”
“So you do think you can control yourself while we’re sleeping in the same bed?”
“Of course,” he responded, his jaw clenching his teeth together. “I’m not an animal.”
“Then I guess we don’t have a problem, do we?”
“We do,” he corrected me flatly. Before he could verbalize what that problem might be, I cut ahead of him and started talking.
“Look, you were ready to cancel your trip and throw away a big opportunity for more exposure because of something dumb. I solved it. You should be happy.”
He opened his mouth like he was ready to argue more, but then closed it, looking thoughtful for a few moments before scowling and heaving a huge sigh. I felt like I’d just watched him work through all the stages of grief and finally end up at acceptance.
“Fine. Whatever. Just make sure you’re packed and ready to go tomorrow morning.”
Trying not to let the light of victory shine on my face and only reveal the genuine excitement I felt at the idea of going on a trip with just the two of us, I hopped up and down a little bit, suppressing a squeal.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun, okay? Don’t look so grumpy,” I suggested, latching on to his arm and pressing into his side. He stared down at where I was clutching at him, before lightly groaning.
“I need to get ready for work.”
“Okay,” I said agreeably, stepping out of the way of the bathroom to let him in.
I’d already gotten what I wanted, so there was no need for me to push it any further.
Even if I really wanted to. I headed back downstairs to let him have his privacy, the rest of the morning passing with relative normalcy.
Another brilliant plan executed flawlessly by yours truly.
As Mom was leaving for work, my dad kissed her at the door before taking a seat next to me in the kitchen.
“Sounds like you’re all packed up and prepared,” he commented.
“Yep,” I answered lightly, knowing where the conversation was likely to be headed. He’d be worried until I reassured him I wasn’t going to be doing any spontaneous skydiving or infiltrating any underground crime syndicates while I wasn’t under his watchful eye. My dad was very predictable.
“So did you plan out your whole weekend?” He questioned.
“No, not really,” I answered, suppressing my grin at his attempt to be subtle.
“I have some pre-course reading I can do on my laptop in the room while Kieran’s out working, and then when he’s not working we’ll probably check out the beach and the city.
It’ll be nice getting a feel for the area around the school. ”
My other plan, which involved getting Kieran to finally give up his scandalous secret and then convince him it wasn’t a big deal so he’d finally just give in and de-virginize me, didn’t seem like the kind of thing he’d want to hear about.
Looking visibly relieved by the lack of dangerous, life-threatening behavior in my future, he nodded eagerly at my explanation.
“And you’ll remember to take your insulin?”
“Yes, Dad.”
“And don’t skip meals just because you’re out having fun.”
“You know I won’t,” I assured him, which he seemed to accept.
“Well, it sure was nice of Kieran to invite you to come along,” he said. “Make sure you thank him.”
“I will.” I had some very creative ways in mind that I would utilize in thanking him.